Racing a 2031 state deadline, Council adopts Cal Green Tier 1 — and the electrification rules that come with it

The single busiest hour of Larkspur's week produced its most consequential vote. The Council adopted Ordinances 1088 and 1089 in one unanimous motion Wednesday, amending the city's building code to Cal Green Tier 1 standards — 1088 covering the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code, 1089 the 2025 code. The practical upshot: electrification requirements for new construction and for remodels exceeding 50% of a building's value.

“Climate change is not something that requires a silver bullet... it's going to be silver buckshot, many many small things we all have to do.”— Tom Flynn, in public comment on the Cal Green ordinances

The clock, not the climate math, was the closing argument. Staff told the Council that a state legislative deadline restricts local code updates until 2031 — provisions can be dialed back later if they prove burdensome, but nothing new can be added. Assistant City Manager Shannon O'Hare said most studies show all-electric new construction is often at cost parity at the time of construction, while cautioning that cost-effectiveness studies analyze policy, not individual projects.

The chamber was full and mostly in favor, including several students. "This building code update is an economically sensible step towards positive change needed now," said Paul Meerhoffer. Resident David Mahler noted the rules touch only new construction, so few existing residents would be affected. The sharpest dissent came by phone from James Holmes: "Coerced electrification will be a windfall for PG&E... electricity is four times as expensive as natural gas, and we pay more for electricity than any state except Hawaii."

From the dais, Council Member Gabe Pollson pressed the cost question hardest, calculating that a 5.29% cost increase on a thousand units at half a million dollars each would put a $25 million burden on the development community, and describing himself as both pro-greenhouse-gas-reduction and pro-fiscal-transparency. The city manager, joining by phone, pushed back: "I've never actually had one of them say CEQA or code costs were the barrier to construction. The barrier is land acquisition costs and mobilization." Both ordinances passed on a voice vote with no opposition.

School district wants ornamental fencing around Cove, Hall and Neil Cummins, citing a single 'red citation' from its insurer

Larkspur-Corte Madera School District staff came to the Council with plans for perimeter and interior ornamental fencing at Cove Elementary, Hall Middle School and Neil Cummins Elementary. The recommendation grew out of the district's safety task force, a review by insurance carrier Keenan, and a community survey, and the district says the design can keep fields and park space open to neighbors after hours.

“The one red citation... is the lack of perimeter fencing.”— Superintendent Dr. Brett Geithman, on the district's insurance review

The task force and superintendent favored full perimeter fencing over an interior-only option, telling the Council that between 89% and 95% of staff preferred the perimeter approach — and pointing to the insurance review, in which the lone red flag was the absence of perimeter fencing.

Council members went straight to logistics. Vice Mayor Andre and Council Member Margaliss both asked whether Central Marin Police had weighed in on access points for emergency entry, with Margaliss also raising sliding-gate safety standards taken up after the Mark Day incident. Another council member asked how a fenced vehicle entrance would function when a parent needs to collect a student mid-day at Hall. A parent in the audience asked what the community's other two safety priorities were — and what the fencing will cost in total. Neither question got a number Wednesday night.

No Council action was required; the item was presentation only, and the decisions belong to the school district.

ADU rewrite would let owners legalize pre-2020 units without building-code compliance

The Council unanimously introduced Ordinance 1090, a rewrite of Title 18 touching the definition of floor area (18.08.255), lot coverage percentages (18.20.050), maximum and minimum floor areas (18.35.050), and all of Chapter 18.23 on accessory and junior accessory dwelling units. The stated goals: conform to new state law, untangle knotted code language, and clarify the floor area and lot coverage bonus for ADUs.

The provision with real teeth for homeowners creates a path to legalize unpermitted units built before 2020 without requiring building code compliance. Community Development Director Elise Semonian told the Council the city received 20 ADU applications in 2023, 27 in 2024, and is already at 16 this year, with roughly 15% seeking to legalize existing non-permitted units — and no extra fees or penalties allowed under state law.

A council member asked whether those legalized pre-2020 units count toward Larkspur's regional housing (RHNA) numbers. The motion to waive further reading and introduce by title only passed unanimously, setting up a second reading at a future meeting — the point at which this becomes law rather than proposal.